Some Greek Philosopher said "Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food." Scientifically, food is divided into five major groups, each group provide some but not all the nutrients we need. Each food group is as important as another, no one can replace other. For good health, we need them all. Here we discuss about the groups of food that make up a good diet. We also discuss here that how much we need to eat from each group, which food we should eat more or less.

Vegetables in daily meals are very important. They are naturally low in fat and also provide fiber. Vegetables help to keep balance between the fluids of the body. They provide vitamins A and C, and minerals, such as iron and magnesium and folate. Vegetables also provide carbohydrates for the energy our body needs. A small quantity of meat, eggs, milk or cheese mixed up with variety and combinations of vegetables provide the full range of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals our body needs. For this we have no need to turn our kitchen into a laboratory, a little creativity is enough.

3 to 5 servings of vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Carrots are a good source of vitamin A, and don't forget tasty tomatoes and cauliflower for vitamin C. Be sure to include bunches of broccoli and spinach, too, because dark green vegetables help keep you healthy.

If you're trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight while eating vegetarian meals, aim to fill half your plate with one or two of the following low-calorie vegetables: tomatoes, spinach, salad, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus or bell peppers.

Starchy vegetables should not be used to fill half the plate, since they have about triple the calories of low-calorie vegetables. Starchy vegetables include green peas, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squashes.

Fruits are wonderful because they are low in fat and sodium and provide important vitamins that keep you feeling fine and looking good. Fruit and fruit juices provide important amounts of vitamins A and C and potassium. 2 to 4 daily servings of fruit play a big role in a good diet. Fruits also give you carbohydrates, the body's favorite kind of fuel. And above all fruit is full of fiber. Fruits are protective and regulatory in nature.

Milk products provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. Eating and drinking milk, yogurt, and cheese is the best way to get your daily calcium. And you'll have the power of protein to help you grow and build your body when you pick foods from this group. 2 to 3 servings of this group is enough for your body. 2 servings are enough for most people and 3 for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers and young adults to age 24. The most critical time to fill your bones with calcium is in your teen-age years. If you don't provide your body with sufficient calcium in your teens, your bones will be less dense throughout your life. This food group helps in body building and gives energy to your body. cow's milk, buffalo milk, goat's milk, butter, ghee, paneer, cheese, kheer, payasam, rabdi, basundi and similar foods comes in this group.

Meat, poultry, and fish supply protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. The other foods in this group - dry beans, eggs, and nuts - are similar to meats in providing protein and most vitamins and minerals. Mutton, chicken, eggs and all edible birds, fish, crab, lobsters and shrimp are examples of Meat, Poultry and Seafood; they are major source of protein and also provide significant amount of fat. Groundnut, cashew nut, walnut, pistachio and badam examples of Nuts and Oilseeds are major source of fats and also provide protein. 2 to 3 servings from this group is sufficient for your body. This food group helps in body building and energy storing.

Groundnut oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, sunflower, safflower oil, butter and ghee. Fat can be visible fat, like oil. There is also invisible fat that cannot be seen but is consumed. For example, nuts and oil seeds also contain fat. Fat could be vegetable fat or animal fat. Our body needs fats for some things, but it's smart to avoid eating too much of it. This food group has more calories than nutrition so we should always use it sparingly. Sugary foods like candy and cookies are simple carbohydrates that can give you quick energy, they are usually loaded with calories and don't offer much in the way of nutrients.

Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group

The foods in this group should make up the biggest part of your total diet that is 6 to 11 servings in a day. These foods provide complex carbohydrates (starches), which are an important source of energy, especially in lowfat diets. They also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and some iron. Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta are all great sources of carbohydrate, the nutrient that the body uses as its major energy source. The final quarter of your balanced vegetarian plate should be made up of whole grains. Choose whole grains over white, processed grains. Whole grains contain high fiber, so they are more filling and don't raise blood-sugar levels as much as other carbohydrates do. Also they have more disease-fighting phytochemicals.

Cereal and Millet: This group includes rice, wheat, ragi, bajra, jowar, corn and all products made from them like cereal flakes, puffed cereals, noodles, macaroni, bread, pizza bread and cakes. A major source of carbohydrates and also provides fat. They gives energy to body.

Pulse, Lentil and Legume: Some examples are black, red and green gram, bengal gram, cowpea, peas and rajma. They helps in body building , a major source of protein and also provides fat and carbohydrate.

• keep all the food groups in mind, you need them for the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and protein they provide.• make sure you choose something from the Grains group at every meal: this is the main source of energy for your body! • choose at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal: this will help to ensure you get the minimum number of daily servings • to complete your meal, add a Milk or Meat/Alternative food... even better, add both!

A healthy weight for you is a weight where you are healthy, not experiencing any health problems related to weight, and able to participate in everyday activities.

Weight tables are of limited usefulness because individuals vary greatly. But if you feel you must consult a weight table then following table based on BMI (Body Mass Index) is probably the best one to use. It is considered suitable for both men and women, and that persons below or above these weights may be at health risk.

Height without shoes

Weight (in pounds) without clothes

5'0"

100-139

5'1"

105-149

5'2"

110-149

5'3"

110-154

5'4"

115-164

5'5"

120-164

5'6"

125-174

5'7"

125-174

5'8"

130-184

5'9"

135-189

5'10"

140-194

5'11"

140-199

6'

145-205

Fortunately, one can eat smart with little sacrifice to old habits and good taste. Preparing dishes yourself allows you considerable control over what goes into your system.

Calorie loss (per minute) on different activities:

Walking

5

Running

20

Cycling (20 km)

10

Dancing

7

Swimming

8

Squash

15

Horse Riding

8

Scrubbing Floor

5

Cholesterol Content in various Foods (Per 100 Gm Or 100

Egg yellow

420

Chicken

60

Mutton

65

Liver

300

Kidney

150

Brain

250

Pork

70

Oyster

450

Shrimp

15

Lamb

70

Whole milk

11

Skimmed milk

2.4

Cream

100

Butter

240

Cheese

16

Plain ice-cream

375

5 Ways to Healthier Cooking

Eating a healthy diet doesn't mean rabbit food. You can still enjoy all of your favorite foods, like beef, pasta, pork, rice, and desserts. However, you must change the way you cook and serve them to keep your fat consumption low and increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It's quite easy, if you keep these five basic guidelines in mind:

Choose leaner cuts of meat and poultry, and trim off the fat before cooking. When you buy ground beef, make sure that it is 90 percent lean. Most of the fat in poultry lies just under the skin, so remove the skin before eating the meat. Switch to lower-fat dairy products, and select from part-skim, nonfat, or reduced-fat cheeses. Yogurt is a good alternative to cream and is available in nonfat varieties. Use reduced-fat sour cream and evaporated skim milk in place of heavy cream. Oily fish contain more of the omega-3 fatty acids, which have a protective effect on the heart, so you can eat any fish you like. However, you should buy water-pack tuna--it contains just a trace of fat compared to 7 grams of fat in oil-packed.

Plan less meat, more vegetables, fruits, and grains:

Change the emphasis of your menus, and make meat just one part of the meal instead of the centerpiece. When you cook a steak, for example, serve potato, one or two vegetables, salad, and bread. Keep the servings of meat small--about 4 ounces per person. This reduces your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and increases intake of vitamins and fiber.

Cook with less fat:

Instead of frying foods in fat, rely on methods that require little or no oil, such as grilling, broiling, roasting, and oven-frying. Drain off any fat after cooking and skim it off the top of stews. Cook fish and poultry in parchment paper, which requires just a touch of oil for flavor. If you prefer to fry food, invest in a nonstick skillet so you can cook either without fat or with a very small amount. When stir-frying, use the minimum amount of oil and heat until very hot. The oil spreads farther, so that you'll need less. Instead of using oil when sauteeing, cook onions or garlic in a little reduced-sodium stock over low heat.

Add herbs, spices, and fruit juice for flavor:

Add herbs and spices to savory dishes so that you don't need salt or sugar. Use vinegar, fruit, or shredded citrus peel to accent the flavor of fish and meat recipes. Serve grilled meats and poultry with simple homemade salsas instead of salt, prepared sauces, or gravy. Replace the flavor lost when you cut down on fat by adding more fruits and vegetables to casseroles and stews. They will boost the vitamin and fiber content as well as reducing the need for seasoning. Spice up pasta dishes with a dash of Parmesan cheese. Cut back on the sugar in baked goods by mixing in fruit juice, nuts, and seeds instead. They add texture as well as flavor.

Serve more meatless meals:

Cut down on saturated fat and cholesterol by getting more protein from plant sources, such as grains and legumes (dried beans, lentils, and peas). They are much lower in fat than meat and an excellent source of dietary fiber. However, grains and legumes must be properly combined. Unlike the protein in meat, which contains all 20 of the amino acids needed for good health, the protein in plant foods is incomplete. Grains, for example, are low in lysine and high methionine, while legumes are typically high in lysine but low in methionine. The solution is simple. Serve grain and legumes together, so that the strength of one makes up for the deficiency in the other.